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GREAT ROCKHOUNDING AND REALLY BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS
By TOM NELSON
The area around Lordsburg offers a wide variety of minerals for both the Novice and experienced rockhound.
South of Lordsburg is the "85" mine group which produced silver and copper but it is privately held by the St. Cloud Mining company.
Seven miles south of there near the Last Chance mine is a good fluorite deposit with mines lying on both sides of the road.
If you want to find turquoise, copper minerals and some gold ore you need to drive south to Hachita on hwy 9.
This area produced lead, silver, copper, gold, turquoise and wide variety of associated minerals.
Southeast of Hachita in the Apache Hills is the Apache mine that produces rhombahedral calcite crystals up to 18 inches across and you will also find some malachite, chrysacolla, and azurite there as well.
East of there is the Fremont mining district where gold mining occurred there are many pits and small tunnels in the district and there is still plenty of epidote, garnet, sylvanite and calavarite to be had on the dumps.
Southwest of Hachita near Old Hachita are the turquoise mines and there is plenty here for one willing to work for it. The turquoise ranges from robin egg blue to jade green and some is very hard and makes beautiful cut stones.
South of there near Howells ridge one finds the Copper Dick Mine. Copper minerals abound here in various forms and the tailings are full of specimens. For those brave souls willing to hike a mile or more you can find German Camp and Sylvanite. Both are gold mining areas that produce some copper minerals, schorll tourmalines, epidote, and garnet.
Always remember to check land and mining claim status before collecting, watch out for open mines and stay out of the tunnels, and carry plenty of water.
For more info on collecting mineral specimens in New Mexico feel free to contact the author, Tom Nelson, at 505-426-2751 or email to Hachita@vtc.net
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